Jim O'Connor-US PRESSWIRENets newcomer Gerald Wallace met with head coach Avery Johnson before today's practice to ensure him they're on the same page.

When they traded their 2012 first-round pick — protected through the first three selections — to the Portland Trail Blazers to get the 6-7 forward Gerald Wallace, the idea for the Nets, in the wake of the Dwight Howard debacle, was to improve their squad and see if the team could make a push for a playoff spot.

But in the 13 days since the trade, the Nets have gone in the opposite direction, losing six of seven games — each in more excruciating fashion than the last, it seems. Their record has fallen to 16-35, which, unhappily, is fourth-worst in the league. And they also got the news last week that Brook Lopez’s broken foot still hasn’t healed fully, and the center will be out a while longer, if he returns at all this season.

Yesterday, Wallace, a 29-year-old, 11-year veteran, met before practice with coach Avery Johnson, ostensibly to let the coach know he is at peace with the Nets’ situation, and is willing to help Johnson and the coaching staff as it tries to groom the younger players the rest of the season.

“It was just understanding — trying to help the young guys understand where we are as a team and what we’ve got to do to get better,’’ Wallace said after practice. “And our main thing every night is to come out and try to improve, get better as a team, and move from there.’’

Johnson greatly appreciated Wallace’s attitude.

“The team’s not winning, and obviously he wants to win, but he likes a lot of what we’re doing here and he just wants to know how he can be of more help with certain situations, in leadership with the team,’’ Johnson said. “And it was just a breath of fresh air when he came into my office this morning. So he’s been great.’’

Wallace, who admitted he was shocked to be traded, also admitted missing the playoffs will be hard to deal with.

“Every year you miss the playoffs, it’s always disappointing, especially for me, so late in my career,’’ he said.

But he praised the Nets’ young talent and said he thought the injured Lopez is “a big piece of the organization’’ who “could potentially boost us over from where we are right now. And I’m looking forward to that.’’

Wallace has averaged 14.7 points a game, compared to 13.3 in 42 games with Portland. He’ll have a decision to make, after the season, as to whether to stay with the Nets or become a free agent this summer. He has a player option and is scheduled to earn $9.5 million if he sticks around. Whether he stays or goes will be a family decision, he said.

“I’ll sit down and talk to my family, concentrate and see where I’m at in my career and what I plan on doing for my future and we’ll go from there,’’ he said.